BEST DETECTIVE STORIES OF THE YEAR
By
An annual autopsy- now in its 17th roundup -- this presents once more a collection drawn from periodicals (not perhaps uppercrust at that), and places chill and horror and sheer readability ahead of skill and finesse. The tough, hard-boiled writers have the edge here (David Dresser, Douglas Farr, Jack Ritchie), but the palm goes to some of the writers for sheer macabre brutality (Michael Zuroy, Richard Deming, Miriam Allen deFord). This medium affords little opportunity for detection and leans heavily on creating an atmosphere of suspense. A successful group, within limitations.